The ComRes poll was not released publicly, but was leaked to the
Mail on Sunday over the weekend.

UKIP dismissed it as inaccurate, claiming they would never
commission work from a pollster they have “problems
with.”

A UKIP spokesman told The Guardian: “ComRes use weighting to
2010 figures. The methodology is flawed as it asks not ‘Who would
you vote for?’ It discounts those voters who say they have voted
UKIP in the recent past and will do so in the future.”

Farage’s election woes prompted him to ask UKIP supporters across
the country for help in his South Thanet campaign.

The UKIP leader posted messages on Twitter and Facebook asking
his followers to “please do me a favor” and travel to
Kent to campaign on his behalf.

He wrote: “I know a lot of you are fighting your own
campaigns locally, but if you could spare just one or two days,
I’d really appreciate the support.

“More than 500 of you came and helped on my first action day
and it was a tremendous success. We’re going to be delivering
postal voter leaflets, adverts for our public meetings, and doing
some canvassing too! So please do me a personal favor, and come
along on the 11th.”

Cameron took advantage of Farage’s waning support to urge
disillusioned Tory supporters who have defected to UKIP to return
to the Conservatives.

The PM told an audience in Bristol: “Look, we’ve heard the
message loud and clear about the things you want to see changed
and we’ll change those things. Come with us, come back home to
us, rather than risk all of this good work being undone.”

Cameron has promised a referendum on Britain’s membership of the
EU in 2017 if he is reelected in a bid to defuse UKIP’s threat to
Tory seats.